Before Using

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Unusual excitement may be more likely to occur in children, who are usually more sensitive than adults to the effects of barbiturates.

Geriatric

Confusion, mental depression, and unusual excitement may be more likely to occur in the elderly, who are usually more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of barbiturates.

Pregnancy

Barbiturates have been shown to increase the chance of birth defects in humans. However, this medicine may be needed in serious diseases or other situations that threaten the mother's life. Be sure you have discussed this and the following information with your doctor:

Taking barbiturates regularly during pregnancy may cause bleeding problems in the newborn infant. In addition, taking barbiturates regularly during the last 3 months of pregnancy may cause the baby to become dependent on the medicine. This may lead to withdrawal side effects in the baby after birth.

One study in humans has suggested that barbiturates taken during pregnancy may increase the chance of brain tumors in the baby.

Barbiturates taken for anesthesia during labor and delivery may reduce the force and frequency of contractions of the uterus; this may prolong labor and delay delivery.

Use of barbiturates during labor may cause breathing problems in the newborn infant.

Breastfeeding

Barbiturates pass into the breast milk and may cause drowsiness, slow heartbeat, shortness of breath, or troubled breathing in babies of nursing mothers taking this medicine.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

Amifampridine

Artemether

Atazanavir

Boceprevir

Cholic Acid

Cobicistat

Daclatasvir

Darunavir

Delamanid

Delavirdine

Lopinavir

Lumefantrine

Lurasidone

Maraviroc

Nisoldipine

Praziquantel

Ranolazine

Rilpivirine

Ritonavir

Telaprevir

Tipranavir

Voriconazole

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Abiraterone Acetate

Acenocoumarol

Adinazolam

Afatinib

Alfentanil

Alprazolam

Amiodarone

Amlodipine

Amobarbital

Amprenavir

Anileridine

Anisindione

Apixaban

Apremilast

Aprepitant

Aprobarbital

Aripiprazole

Astemizole

Atorvastatin

Axitinib

Bedaquiline

Bortezomib

Bosutinib

Brentuximab Vedotin

Bromazepam

Bromocriptine

Brotizolam

Budesonide

Buprenorphine

Bupropion

Buspirone

Butabarbital

Butalbital

Cabazitaxel

Cabozantinib

Canagliflozin

Carbamazepine

Carbinoxamine

Carisoprodol

Ceritinib

Chloral Hydrate

Chlordiazepoxide

Chlorzoxazone

Cilostazol

Cisapride

Citalopram

Clarithromycin

Clobazam

Clonazepam

Clorazepate

Clozapine

Cobicistat

Codeine

Conivaptan

Crizotinib

Cyclosporine

Dabigatran Etexilate

Dabrafenib

Dantrolene

Darifenacin

Dasatinib

Delavirdine

Dexamethasone

Diazepam

Dicumarol

Dihydroergotamine

Docetaxel

Dolutegravir

Doxorubicin

Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome

Dronedarone

Dutasteride

Eletriptan

Eliglustat

Elvitegravir

Enzalutamide

Eplerenone

Ergotamine

Erlotinib

Erythromycin

Eslicarbazepine Acetate

Esomeprazole

Estazolam

Estradiol

Ethchlorvynol

Etravirine

Everolimus

Exemestane

Felodipine

Fentanyl

Fluconazole

Flunitrazepam

Flurazepam

Fluticasone

Fospropofol

Halazepam

Haloperidol

Hydrocodone

Hydromorphone

Ibrutinib

Idelalisib

Ifosfamide

Iloperidone

Imatinib

Indacaterol

Indinavir

Irinotecan

Itraconazole

Ivabradine

Ivacaftor

Ixabepilone

Ketazolam

Ketoconazole

Ketorolac

Lapatinib

Ledipasvir

Levorphanol

Linagliptin

Lopinavir

Lorazepam

Lormetazepam

Losartan

Lovastatin

Macitentan

Meclizine

Medazepam

Meperidine

Mephenesin

Mephobarbital

Meprobamate

Metaxalone

Methadone

Methocarbamol

Methohexital

Methoxyflurane

Midazolam

Mifepristone

Morphine

Morphine Sulfate Liposome

Naloxegol

Nateglinide

Nelfinavir

Netupitant

Nifedipine

Nilotinib

Nimodipine

Nintedanib

Nitrazepam

Nordazepam

Ondansetron

Orlistat

Oxazepam

Oxycodone

Oxymorphone

Paclitaxel

Pazopanib

Pentobarbital

Perampanel

Phenindione

Phenobarbital

Phenprocoumon

Pimozide

Piperaquine

Pixantrone

Pomalidomide

Ponatinib

Prazepam

Primidone

Propafenone

Propoxyphene

Quazepam

Quetiapine

Quinidine

Quinine

Regorafenib

Remifentanil

Rifabutin

Rivaroxaban

Roflumilast

Romidepsin

Salmeterol

Saquinavir

Saxagliptin

Secobarbital

Sildenafil

Simeprevir

Simvastatin

Sirolimus

Sodium Oxybate

Sofosbuvir

Sorafenib

Succinylcholine

Sufentanil

Sunitinib

Suvorexant

Tacrolimus

Tamoxifen

Tamsulosin

Tapentadol

Tasimelteon

Telithromycin

Temazepam

Temsirolimus

Teniposide

Terfenadine

Thiopental

Ticagrelor

Tofacitinib

Tolvaptan

Trabectedin

Tramadol

Trazodone

Triazolam

Ulipristal Acetate

Valproic Acid

Vandetanib

Vardenafil

Vemurafenib

Verapamil

Vilazodone

Vincristine Sulfate

Vincristine Sulfate Liposome

Vinflunine

Vorapaxar

Vortioxetine

Zaleplon

Zileuton

Ziprasidone

Zolpidem

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Alcohol abuse (or history of) or

Drug abuse or dependence (or history of)—Dependence on barbiturates may develop.

Anemia (severe) or

Asthma (history of), emphysema, or other chronic lung disease or

Type 2 diabetes mellitus or

Hyperactivity (in children) or

Mental depression or

Overactive thyroid or

Porphyria (or history of)—Barbiturates may make the condition worse.

Kidney disease or

Liver disease—Higher blood levels of barbiturates may result, increasing the chance of side effects.

Pain—Barbiturates may cause unexpected excitement or mask important symptoms of more serious problems.

Underactive adrenal gland—Barbiturates may interfere with the effects of other medicines needed for this condition.